Mail box signal flag



Dec. 9, 1969 N. R. Gu| os 3,4 2,543

MAIL Box SIGNAL FLAG Piled Se t. 30, 1968 FG. 2 ZNVENToR.

NORMAN R, GUmoS ATTORNEY United StateS Patent 3,482,543 MAIL Box SIGNAL ELAo Nofmon R. (;"idos, 6102 Mccafney Road, Lowenv1"e, oh1o 44430 Ei1ed se pf. 30, 1008, Ser. No. 703,753 I1f. cL G00f 9/00 U.s. CL 110132 1 C1m BSTRACT of THE D1SCLoSURE A n1ai1 box signal 11ag con1pTising an elongate Secfion BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention ThiS invention TelateS to ffal mail boxes and mofe articulafly to signaling devices vvhich nlay be attached thefeto to indicate the opening of the doof of the mail box as upon maH being placed thefein.

DeScri fion of the priof aff PTioT art StructuTes of this ty e nsuan em lo some sorf of adjuStable mounting device which feqnifos dfining openings in the maH box and tho doof thefeof and Which devices genefany incofpofafe a Tigid arm ivofany mounted and Tetained b Some means so that it Win swin of be moved into viSible felation to the mail box npon being TeleaSed. The pTiof aft deviceS i11clllde Spfing type InountingS fo1 fesilienfly holding the fod aS in Patent No. 2,433,940 and Spfing acfJafed deviceS fo1 n1oving tho 11ag poftion aS i11 Patent No 3 338 l0. Stin othef patentS ShowiI1g Inechanical actUated Inail box 11ags vvhefein freeing of a pivoted nleII1bef peTn1itS gTavity actuated movement and these ma be seen in PatentS Nos- 3,294,0S7 and 3,19L855.

This inventfoI1 elin1inafes the dfilling and bolting on of signal 11agS, It e1iminates the eXpenSive and often com plicafed n1echanical conffivances of the pfiof aft and pfo videS an easieT, quickef meanS fof mounting and uSing a Inai1 box signa1 11ag.

SUMMARY oF THE INVENTION A n1ail box Signal ag coIn rising an ineXpenSive elongate section of coiled fesilient Inatefial Secufed at one ond in a molded bracket adapted fof adhes1ve atfachment to the Sido of a maH box and femporaTily held in hofizontal position beside the n1ail box by a keepe1 attached to tho hinged doof of the nlail box and having a 11ag poftion n1ovable to a poSition above the II1ail box vvhen the olon gate oftion iS freed of the keeper by tho opening of the Inan box doof.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIGU'RE 1 is a peTSpecfive view of a fuTal mail box With the n1ail box f1ag in non-Signaling location and bfoken lines illuStfating the same in ffee of signaling poSition.

FIGURE 2 is an enlar ed lan vievv of a ortion of the nlai1 box and the Signal 0ag mounfed thefeon and shovving tho sanle in Signaling osition.

FIGURE 3 iS an enlafged cfOSS Sectiona1 elevation on Hne 33 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged cfoSS Sectional elevafion on line 44 of FIGURE 1.

3,482,543 Pafenfed 1)ec. 9, 1069 DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT B referrin to the drawin s in FIGURE 1 in articular, it WiH be seen that a TL11'al nlail box of the type genofaHy used fof fufal man delivery haS been iHuStTafed and compfiSeS a box poTtion 10 having a founded fop ortion 11 and a hinged doof 12 noTmaHy cloSing an open end of the box 10, The doof 12 is hinged on pivotS 13 adjacent itS lower ed e and is norman held in olosed Telation by a twoatt ftiction catch 14 and 15, tho pafts being respectively atfachod to the box and tho doof aS Wn1 be undefstood by those skilled in the aff. v

The device of the invention compfiseS a mounting bfacket 10 having an elongated f1at body Section 17 Which is adapted to be adheSively secufed fo the Side of the mail box 10. The mounting bfacket 10 haS a vertical opening 18 thefein With a thfead pattem specincaHy affanged to thfeadably Teceive one end of an elongated section of olosel vvound resilient nlateTial taking the forn1 of a tight Spifa1 con5gUTation and indicated in the dfaWings by the feference nUmefal 10.

The nlenlber 10 is of a length suHicient that it extends above the top 11 of the lInail box When it is in vortical oSition as seen in FIGU RE 2 of the dTawin s, and a f1ag device com fisin a tubUlar ortion 20 and a vefti cany pOSitioned 11at f1ag Section 21 iS mounfed on the Uppef end of the member 10 With the tight Spiral wound oonfiguTation of the Inen1beT 10 thfeadably engaging tho inner diaInefer of the tubular poftion 20 of the nag IneInber. The Opposite end of the tubular poftion 20 thread ably Teceives and thus secUTeS a rojectin rfb catch mem bor 22.

B refefrin to FIGURE 1 of the drawin S, it wiH be seen that the catch membef 22 is pafficulaTly adapted to be toInpofarily held by a sidovvaTdly eXtending notched arm 23 Which is carried on and forn1s a art of a 11at Secondar bfacket 24 as best seen in FIGURE 4 of the dfawingS.

By fefeffing to FIGURES 3 and 4 of the drawingS, it Wn1 be soen that the InoUnting bracket 1o and the Second afy bfacket 24 afe both pfovided With a layef of suitable adhesive 25 so that they nlay be Teadily adhered to the feSpective body and doo1 poffionS of the f11ral Inail box, thus making inStanation of the man box nag pafticulafly easy.

ThoSe skiHed in the aft wnl obsefve that the elongated Spifal wound fesiHent membef 10 may be fofmed of Spfing Wire of HghtWeight of of fesilient plastic of any other Suitable Inatefia1 and thaf ifS conHgufation pfovideS for itS thfeadHke engagement in the mounting bfacket 15 and the fubulaT poftion 20 of the 11ag 21. The entiTe device may, thefefofe, be inexpensively formed as of Inolded high impact feSin panS and win poffofm ef11ciently in its intended envifonment.

The above described structure Tovidos a Telativel ineXpenSive and easny attachab1e mail box Signal f1ag which WiH unfailing indicate the opening of the mail box doof and the attendant positioning of ITlail theTein, th11s n1aking ff unnecesSafy fof the box ownef to Inake unneceSSary tri S to the box to deteTInino Whethef of not the n1ail haS arfived.

Althongh but one eInbodiInent of the prosent invention has been inustrated and descTibed, it Wil1 be ap ar ent to thoso skilled in the aTt that varioUS changes and modifications may be mado therein Without depafting fTom the spifit of the invention of the Scope of the ap plended claim and having thus described my invention what 1 clain1 1S= 1. A mail box signa1 11ag comprising an elongate section of closely vvound s iTal Sha ed resiHent ITlateriaL a nounting f1at bracket having an opening theToin en- Said elongated Scti0n o Tesilient InateTiaL a pTojecting Tibbed catch element on Said Hag device and a Second bracket for attachn1ent to the door of said nlail box and including a notched arIn fof Ieceiving and holding said Tojecting ribbed catch element whereby said n1ail box nag is held in TetTacted position until released by the o en ing of the man bOX door caTTying the secondary bTacket, Said ag deVice compTises a at verticaHy diS OSed vane like member With a veTticany positioned tubUlar edge section deBhing the meanS foT threadably eceiving at itS loweT end the end .o the elongate section of s iTan shaped reSilient nlateTiaL and the meanS for threadabl receiving at its uppef end Said proiecting ribbed catch ele- Inent.

L()UIS I. CAPOZ Pfimar Examiner 

